A trio from the world’s biggest internet betting companies has joined the industrial casino lobby within the United states.
According to the American Gaming Association, leading on-line gambling firms GVC Holdings PLC, Paddy Energy Betfair and also the Stars Group have joined the AGA Board of Directors. The AGA will be the leading lobbying group on Capitol Hill for the $40 billion-a-year industrial casino gambling market.
“More than ever before, AGA’s diverse membership reflects the broad interests from the casino gaming industry,” stated Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of AGA.
All 3 are international online casino firms. GVC is licensed to operate within the New Jersey on-line marketplace via its subsidiary bwin.celebration, owner of PartyPoker. Also joining the AGA is the Stars Group, owner of PokerStars, the world’s biggest real-money poker platform. PokerStars can also be licensed in New Jersey for online betting. Paddy Energy Betfair, another firm authorized for New Jersey’s rapidly growing online betting industry, joined the trade group also.
The AGA was as soon as in public support of regulated internet betting, before eventually backing off that lobbying work to focus on sports betting. New Jersey is leading the sports betting charge, which would consist of both brick-and-mortar and mobile sports wagers.
The addition of GVC, Stars and Paddy Power Betfair comes around the heels of Pennsylvania legalizing on-line gambling final fall. Several other states, such as Michigan, New York, West Virginia, Connecticut and Louisiana are all seriously contemplating online casinos this year.
The dam might have finally broke for on-line poker in America.
PokerStars joining the AGA is particularly noteworthy considering that the lobbying group once fiercely opposed PokerStars’ entry into the New Jersey gaming market. PokerStars at the time was attempting to acquire an Atlantic City casino.
The AGA stated back in 2013 that it opposed PokerStars coming in to the brick-and-mortar company “because the integrity of the gaming industry could be gravely compromised by any regulatory approval of PokerStars, a business constructed on deceit, chicanery, and systematic flouting of U.S. law.”
A little more than a year later, PokerStars was sold to Amaya Gaming for $4.9 billion. The firm eventually received approval to offer games in New Jersey.